The Motorola Mobility unit saw its loss widen by 75 percent, although its revenue rose 18 percent. July 18, 2013 1:50 PM PDT (Credit: Motorola ) Google's experiment with the smartphone business continues to be a costly one. Motorola Mobility, which Google acquired a little more than a year ago, posted a loss of $342 million, or 75 percent wider than its year-earlier hit. Revenue, meanwhile, rose 18 percent to $998 million. Related stories Google misses earnings expectations, but revenue up Android 4.3 pops up on Nexus 4 bought from Craigslist Google gets off in Korea anticompetition case Chrome update for iOS features tighter Google apps integration Google Nexus 7 rumor mill churns out leaked photos The loss, of course, is a drop in the bucket for a company that posted a second-quarter profit of $3.23 billion. Motorola is in the midst of changing its direction and turning itself around. The company is widely expected to debut a new family of Droid Ultra smartphones at a Verizon event next week. The loss, however, may be more directly tied into the investment that Motorola is making in a U.S.-based manufacturing facility intended to build and ship customizable phones. The device, dubbed Moto X, has already made a few public appearances. The Fort Worth, Texas, facility will employ more than 2,000 employees and represents a major bet by Google. Google will reportedly back the effort with a massive campaign worth half a billion dollars. Google has already trimmed the headcount at Motorola Mobility. The unit employed 4,599 workers as of the end of the second quarter, compared with 9,982 employees in the first quarter.
The Motorola Mobility unit saw its loss widen by 75 percent, although its revenue rose 18 percent.
Google's experiment with the smartphone business continues to be a costly one.
Motorola Mobility, which Google acquired a little more than a year ago, posted a loss of $342 million, or 75 percent wider than its year-earlier hit. Revenue, meanwhile, rose 18 percent to $998 million.
Related stories
- Google misses earnings expectations, but revenue up
- Android 4.3 pops up on Nexus 4 bought from Craigslist
- Google gets off in Korea anticompetition case
- Chrome update for iOS features tighter Google apps integration
- Google Nexus 7 rumor mill churns out leaked photos
The loss, of course, is a drop in the bucket for a company that posted a second-quarter profit of $3.23 billion.
Motorola is in the midst of changing its direction and turning itself around. The company is widely expected to debut a new family of Droid Ultra smartphones at a Verizon event next week.
The loss, however, may be more directly tied into the investment that Motorola is making in a U.S.-based manufacturing facility intended to build and ship customizable phones. The device, dubbed Moto X, has already made a few public appearances. The Fort Worth, Texas, facility will employ more than 2,000 employees and represents a major bet by Google.
Google will reportedly back the effort with a massive campaign worth half a billion dollars.
Google has already trimmed the headcount at Motorola Mobility. The unit employed 4,599 workers as of the end of the second quarter, compared with 9,982 employees in the first quarter.
